Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that no online platform will be given a "free pass" when it comes to protecting children's safety on the internet, as the government unveils new plans to tighten online safety rules.
Speaking to parents and young people later on Monday, Starmer will make clear his government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.
The new measures announced include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms. This follows government action to call out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.
https://t.co/747Dy5s5xx pic.twitter.com/4T6bTX7Yea
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 15, 2026
The government intends to close loopholes in current child‑protection laws and will launch a consultation on a potential social media ban for under‑16s. The proposals also include powers to quickly update legislation in response to emerging online behaviours, as well as measures to safeguard children's social media and digital data — a change long advocated by the Jools' Law campaign.
Critics, however, have accused the government of failing to act quickly enough and are urging that any social media ban for children be put to a vote in Parliament. Ministers previously announced that a public consultation would begin in March, seeking views on restricting children's access to AI chatbots and curbing features like infinite scrolling, often referred to as doomscrolling.
The move comes after earlier clashes between ministers and Elon Musk, whose platform X saw its Grok AI chatbot used to generate fake nude images of women.
Ahead of the consultation launch, Sir Keir said: “The action we took on Grok made it clear that no platform is exempt." "Technology is developing at incredible speed, and our laws must keep pace. Under my government, Britain will lead rather than follow on online safety," he added.
Other potential measures include blocking children from using VPNs to bypass age restrictions to access pornography, and updating the law to require chatbots to shield users from illegal content.
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